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Protectors - Fire Within - Book One - Sun
TRIBE OF THE EARTH CAPTAIN (leader of the tribe): Roughmoon-black male with rough fur STAR SPEAKER (rabbits who occasionally have special dreams that help protect the tribe): Eyepool-gray male with yellow eyes HERB MASTER (the healer of the tribe): Rosepetal-reddish brown female with white paws PATROLLERS (rabbits who patrol the border): Icyhop-white female with crystal-white fur Greenfluff-brown male with fluffy fur Graystorm-dark gray male with white ears Witherthorn-black male with gray paws Poisonfur-black male with yellow eyes QUEENS (females that have or will have kittens): Runningpaws-light brown with white paws Minnow-gray with red eyes, used to be a rogue Hoppyfur-white with blue eyes Moonfoot-black with crystal blue eyes APPRENTICES (young rabbits learning to become patrollers or star speakers): Lightear-light gray female, apprentice of Eyepool Sunear-yellow-brown male, apprentice of Greenfluff Hollyear-brown female, apprentice of Icyhop Ivyear-gray female, apprentice of Witherthorn Thornear-white female, apprentice of Rosepetal Toadear-black male, apprentice of Poisonfur Chapter One - Sun Rising Sunkit rose and yawned. His mother, Runningpaws, nudged him. “Sunkit,” she said, “good morning!” He blinked his blue eyes and licked his fluffy chest, a trait from his father, Greenfluff. “…hmm….what is it…” he mumbled sleepily. Runningpaws rolled her eyes playfully. “You kitten, it’s time for you and the other kits to become apprentices!” He widened his eyes. “R-really?” “Well, of course,” she said, “you’re about a moon, so it’s time for you to get out of the nursery den and soon become a fully grown buck.” Sunkit became overflowed with joy. “Wow!” he shrieked with happiness, “it’s been my dream ever since I opened my eyes!” Runningpaws smiled. “Now, let’s go to the ceremony by the Towering Tree. Roughmoon will be there to appoint you and the other kits mentors. How would you like to be Sunear?” Later on, as they pulled themselves out of the nursery, tan fur against gold, they could see the other kits that had woken before them. “Go on up, Sunkit,” his mother ordered, “you’re faster. I’ll meet you there!” Sunkit nodded thankfully and darted up the hill that contained the Tribe of the Earth, all EarthRabbits’ warren. He knew of other tribes—Tribe of the Sun, of the Moon, the Waters and the Sky—but he had never met a rabbit from the other Tribes, let alone enter one! Being an educated bunny, he knew that it was forbidden by the Moon Code to enter another Tribe without captain approval. Even though every decent Tribe rabbit knew the code, the patrollers made sure to mark the boundaries, just in case a wandering kit or apprentice tried to cross, or if the Tallones’ rabbits ventured within. Tallone rabbits, or as the Tribes called them, “rabbitdroppings”, were stuck within Tallone warrens. Further investigation showed that the Tallones would lock them in cages, giving them strange, curved holes filled with what looked like droppings, and a weird, curved thing filled with water. If Tribe rabbits were found, they would try to box or jump away, but some were locked in. They would not disobey the Moon Code, so they did not eat the Tallone food and died. Tallones cruelly threw them out of their warrens to become crowfood. Sunkit shivered to think of what would happen if he was caught. Would he obey the Moon Code and die, like the others? Or would he become like the rabbitdroppings, and chew away on dung and drink out of the curved tube…forever? Sunkit could not think now, for Roughmoon was announcing the Naming. He hurried over to sit with the other kits. He murmured to Toadkit, the kit closest to him, “Who do you think our mentors will be?” Toadkit shrugged. “Not up to us,” he sighed, “up to Roughmoon.” “I know,” he said, “but…Oh! It’s starting!” Roughmoon hopped over to the base of the tree, accompanied by the blind Star Speaker, Eyepool. “As you know,” Roughmoon said, “all of you kittens have come of age to become an apprentice of a patroller, Eyepool, or Rosepetal. Eyepool shall announce what we though was best, according to the trial you took three days ago.” Eyepool nodded. “My apprentice is….Lightkit,” he announced. Roughmoon nodded at Lightkit. She bounced forward formally. “Lightkit, do you swear to uphold the Moon Code, follow the words of our ancestors, and serve the Tribe of the Earth faithfully as a Star Speaker?” Lightkit nodded. “Yes, I do,” “Then you now shall become Lightear, apprentice of Eyepool.” Lightear nodded, and hopped upwards to Eyepool. “I can sense your joy and satisfaction; this is a joyful day for me also. I remember becoming an apprentice.” Sunkit shivered at the thought that Eyepool could read emotions. Helpful to the Tribe, but still eerie. Roughmoon cleared his throat. “I will now be announcing Sunkit’s duty.” Sunkit felt his throat grow dry. His heart skipped a beat. What if I become a—a ''healer? I’ve trained so hard to become a patroller, I can’t give up now! '' '' ''“Sunkit, rise,” Roughmoon commanded. Sunkit nervously hopped up. “Sunkit, do you swear to uphold the Moon Code, follow the words of our ancestors, and serve the Tribe of the Earth faithfully?” Sunkit gulped and nodded, “Y-yes.” “Then you shall now become Sunear,” he paused. “Apprentice of….Greenfluff.” Sunear’s eyes widened. Greenfluff? His father? He gulped his heart back into his chest, and padded toward his father. Greenfluff smiled. Sunear’s blue eyes looked into his brown. Gold fur shone against brown. After that, the Naming passed by. Ivyear, Thornear, Toadear; they flew by in a flash. All he remembered was the respect he had for his father. The combination of blue and brown…..brown and gold…. He heard someone laughing. A black buck passed by scornfully. “Aww, I feel you, Sunear!” he snorted. Sunear froze. Greenfur growled, “Witherthorn. Do you have business here?” Witherthorn smiled mockingly. “Oh, Greenfluff, always making peace. A good patroller fights to the death. Isn’t that right, Ivyear?” A gray doe appeared from behind them. “He’s right, Sunear,” she said, “all well trained patrollers never shows fear by stalling.” Sunear froze silently, although he wanted to scream. Greenfluff snorted aggressively. “Are you questioning my place as a patroller? That is against the Moon Code; only the captain can remove or challenge against a rabbit’s station.” Witherthorn’s smile grew grim. “Alas, flufftail, I am not challenging; only, slightly questioning.” Greenfluff roared and jumped at Witherthorn. “ROOTBREATH!” he screamed. Witherthorn curled back his lips as he jumped backwards. He suddenly jumped on Greenfluff—and bit down. Greenfluff shrieked with pain as Witherthorn’s sharp teeth bit into his shoulder. The black buck let go and hopped away. “Come, Ivyear,” he commanded. Ivyear hopped away slowly, shocked. Sunear rushed to his father. His bite was bleeding, turning his fur to a dark red. Sunear started to cry. “Rosepetal! ROSEPETAL!” he screamed. Greenfluff smiled at him, although weakly. “He-he broke the Moon Code,” Sunear choked, “’One shall not draw blood from one’s Tribemates’.” Rosepetal rushed forward about a minute later, her white paws filled with herbs. “Is he okay?” she asked. Sunear nodded, his fur dry from crying. “He-I think he fell asleep; his breathing slowed.” Rosepetal checked his breath. “You’re right.” As she gently woke him up and gave him some herbs, she asked, “Who did it? How could another Tribe member enter and draw blood?” Sunear shook his head. “It-it was Witherthorn. He called my dad a flufftail. Then Greenfluff jumped on him, but he dodged and bit him.” Rosepetal was shocked. “Where is he now?” asked a voice. The three rabbits looked around to see Roughmoon. Sunear shook his head, “I don’t know, but I think he went towards the Clover Patch? Probably to teach Ivyear,” Roughmoon nodded, “Good idea; Clover Patch is a beginner training area. I’ll go find him and…deal with him. Meanwhile, you need to find another mentor to teach you.” He paused, then, “You can go with Poisonfur, Sunear. He’s Toadear’s mentor, and I heard you were friends?” Sunear nodded. After Roughmoon hopped toward Clover Patch and Rosepetal took Greenfluff to the recovery den, Sunear looked around for Poisonfur and Toadear. As they were not around the Towering Tree, Sunear decided they must have gone to Clover Patch. Clover Patch was the place where all apprentices trained first, excluding Star Speaker apprentices, as they would learn about ancestral history by the Star Pool. Clover Patch had a barren, dusty patch of land around it, perfect for young patrollers learning to box. It also had many herbs, good for learning of things to eat, or deeper explanation for herb master apprentices. Sunear looked around to see Toadear and Poisonfur boxing with Hollyear and Icyhop. He could see other apprentices hopping through the fields—there! Witherthorn and Ivyear were boxing each-other, but Sunear knew it was unfair, as Witherthorn was larger, stronger, and more experienced. He wondered if Roughmoon and Eyepool had made a good choice in making Minnow’s kit an apprentice of Witherthorn, and so early. Ivyear was already accustomed to rogue life as a newborn kit; she hadn’t grown up with the Tribe, and hadn’t studied the Moon Code well enough. Was she too inexperienced to perceive the crime Witherthorn had committed? He saw Roughmoon walking over, and decided he’d better not eavesdrop. He hopped over to Poisonfur and Icyhop. Poisonfur signaled to Icyhop and walked over to him. “Hey, Sunear! Where’s Greenfluff? I was looking forward to seeing him.” Sunear sighed. “Witherthorn...bit him.” Poisonfur looked shocked. “W-Witherthorn? My brother?” Sunear nodded grimly. Poisonfur sighed. ‘Well…the past cannot be changed. Let’s just train.”